TEKI Design's 2050 Coffee Shop in Kyoto reimagines the traditional café as a collaborative space, fostering interaction to address the "2050 coffee problem" through small, impactful actions.
This term reflects concerns that by 2050, due to climate change and evolving labor conditions, the way we enjoy coffee today may drastically change or even become impossible. Rather than presenting a singular, overwhelming issue, the 2050 coffee problem is envisioned as a tapestry woven from myriad smaller challenges. TEKI Design's approach with this coffee shop is to embody a proactive mindset that embraces incremental solutions and community involvement.
In designing the 2050 Coffee Shop, TEKI Design seeks to dissolve the traditional boundaries between customers, staff, and producers, fostering a dynamic space of interaction and influence. This concept rejects the notion of a fixed identity or a dominant facade, instead proposing an architecture of 'small dots'—each representing different functions or elements—that collectively form a cohesive whole. This fluid arrangement symbolizes a collective effort where small actions contribute to a larger vision, echoing the need for a multi-faceted approach to tackling the 2050 coffee problem.
The interior layout, thus, becomes an organic constellation where each interaction, each choice made within the space, is a microcosm of the larger challenge facing the coffee industry. The 2050 Coffee Shop encourages patrons to consider and share their small actions, thereby cultivating a culture of awareness and participation. It is not merely a coffee shop but a micro-environmental and social experiment, exploring how incremental changes today can help ensure a sustainable future for coffee.
